As political parties pick up the pace of recruiting candidates ahead of next year’s congressional elections, Democrats are searching for a candidate in NY’s 24th Congressional District to challenge what they see as a vulnerable incumbent.

Considered one of only 10 Tossup districts in the country by the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call, both parties have made winning the seat a top priority. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted first-term Rep. John Katko on its “One-Term Wonders” list of Republican freshmen, and the National Republican Congressional Committee placed Katko in the party’s Patriot Program, which is meant to protect its most at-risk incumbents.

June 1, 2015

Schriock is the president of EMILY’s List. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

EMILY’s List put 15 GOP incumbents “On Notice” for their re-election bids Monday, naming its top GOP targets for 2016, according to a release provided first to CQ Roll Call.

The group, which backs women who support abortion rights, says each incumbent has a bad record on women’s health issues, and will make it a priority to find female recruits to challenge them next fall. The list is almost identical to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s top targets in 2016, when the party will seek to put a dent in Republicans’ historic House majority.

March 3, 2015

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will launch robocalls against more than two dozen House Republicans Tuesday over the Department of Homeland Security funding flap, according to a script of the call provided first to CQ Roll Call.

February 13, 2015

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced 12 members will kick-start its Patriot Program for the House GOP’s most vulnerable incumbents, according to a news release provided first to CQ Roll Call.

Eleven of the members were elected in 2014, when Republicans made huge gains across the country. The 12 members represent districts where Democrats typically perform well in presidential cycles, making them top targets in 2016.

November 18, 2014

Poliquin arrives last week for check-in for new members. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

They haven’t even been sworn in yet, but these members start off the cycle as underdogs in their quests for re-election in 2016.

Most of 2016’s initial targets are incoming Republicans, swept into office in a GOP midterm wave. They will represent districts Democrats carried with big margins in presidential election years — seats the newly minted Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Luján will probably want back. Only one vulnerable Democrat made this list.

What’s more, the window for either party to oust these freshman could close quickly. It’s easier to defeat an incumbent in their first re-election, before they solidify a stronghold on the seat.

In alphabetical order, here are the incoming members who start the 2016 cycle as underdogs:

The district slightly favors Democrats — an advantage that grew after redistricting in 2012. But the district has flipped between parties every cycle, with Maffei losing re-election after a single term in 2010. He won back the seat last cycle, and until recently, it wasn’t clear whether Maffei would be targeted for defeat in the midterms.

But on Sept. 12, the National Republican Congressional Committee swooped into the district to reserve $1.5 million in airtime to help its nominee, John Katko. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee followed suit four days later, spending $859,000.

The investment has proven potent in this district, which is covered by the inexpensive Syracuse media market. Campaigns can make a huge impact in the district without a lot of money — at least compared to other districts. Full story

July 8, 2014

The National Republican Congressional Committee promoted 11 more candidates to ‘Young Gun’ status Tuesday morning, elevating their campaigns to the highest level of the program that provides organizational and fundraising support in top House contests.

“By placing these reservations early, we will make our dollars go further and ensure we have the air time to effectively fight back against the flood of Koch brothers’ dollars,” House Majority PAC Executive Director Alixandria Lapp said in a statement.

The super PAC is on offensive in six Republican-held districts and on defense in 18 Democratic districts. Often, releasing ad reservations to the press is a means to telegraph to allies, like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, how outside groups intend to spend money.

Below is a breakdown of the buys, categorized by offensive and defensive targets:

September 25, 2013

Former Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-N.Y., announced on Wednesday that she will not seek a rematch with her two-time rival, Rep. Dan Maffei, D-N.Y.

“Serving the people of Upstate New York in Congress has been one of the highest honors of my life,” Buerkle wrote in a morning email to supporters. “While I love Upstate New York and will always remain deeply committed to the people who live here, I have decided that I will not seek election to Congress in 2014.” Full story

July 11, 2013

Several Senate candidates posted seven-figure hauls on Thursday as second-quarter fundraising announcements trickled in ahead of the July 15 reporting deadline.

Here’s today’s fundraising roundup:

Senate

#NJSEN: Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat, raised $4.6 million and will report $4.5 million in cash on hand for his special-election bid.

#NHSEN: Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheenraised $1.2 million and will report $2.15 million in the bank.

#SCSEN: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham reported more than $1.4 million raised in the first quarter. That’s the most the senator has ever brought in during a single quarter, according to his campaign. He will report $6.25 million in cash on hand. Full story

March 5, 2013

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel named 26 of his colleagues to the Frontline program, a committee program designed to protect their most vulnerable incumbents.

“We call this program Frontline for a reason – these Members are on the vanguard of protecting and expanding the middle class,” Israel said in a written statement released Tuesday morning.

“While the 2014 campaign will be dominated by a strong offense taking on the Tea Party Republican Congress, our success begins with our Members,” added Israel, a Democrat from New York. “These battle-tested men and women have proven time and again that they can win because no one better reflects the values of their districts.”

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. will spearhead the program as its chairman. He’s a Frontline alumnus as recently as the 2012 cycle.

Otherwise, the list includes several freshman members and Blue Dog Democrats:

January 28, 2013

In 2010, Republican Ann Marie Buerkle unseated then-freshman Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei. In 2012, Maffei unseated then-freshmen Rep. Buerkle. And on Sunday, Buerkle floated the possibility of a comeback bid, telling a meeting of the Conservative Party that another run for Congress is “on the table,” according to the Empire State political blog Capital Tonight.

The 2010 race was one of the closest in the country. But the newly configured 24th district, drawn by a federal judge, leans Democratic and Maffei unseated Buerkle without much trouble in November. In the district, President Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney by about 16 points.

It would take a unique set of circumstances for Buerkle, an outspoken conservative, to put the district back in play.

November 7, 2012

Both Democratic and Republican Members of Congress were unseated Tuesday night in the House battleground state of New York.

Former Rep. Dan Maffei (D) unseated freshman Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R), just two years after Buerkle beat Maffei. With 91 percent of precincts reporting, Maffei had 50 percent to Buerkle’s 42 percent in the 24th district, according to the Associated Press.

Businessman and former Erie County Executive Chris Collins (R) beat Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) in the state’s most Republican district, the 27th. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Collins had 51 percent to Hochul’s 49 percent, the AP said.